Profile of the Mayor

Mayor Joey Mochela was elected Mayor of Ngwathe Local Municipality by the ANC after the 2011 local government elections. She was born in Tumahole, Parys in 1967 and has three siblings. Her early education started at Selogilwe primary, matriculated from the Phehellang Secondary School in Tumahole before pursuing her BA at the North West University. Mochela was also employed as the procurement clerk in Ngwathe Local Municipality.

She worked in the supply chain unit and was the administrator in the department of agriculture for MEC Ace Magashule, present day Free State Premier and the assistant head of Supply Chain Unit in Ngwathe municipality before being deployed as the Mayor to bring stability in the municipality.

She previously worked as a Political Advisor to the then Ngwathe Speaker. A revolutionary student during the apartheid period, she was part of the anti-apartheid youth in the 80’s that took part in the liberation struggle that led to rent boycotts. She was shot and wounded by the apartheid security forces during circumstances that led to what is popularly known as Tumahole Day. Her community involvement includes her deployment by the ANC to be part of a team that established what is today known as Lentswe Community Radio station in Tumahole. She is a patron for both Lentswe CR as well as Lehlohonolo Day Care Center for the orphans.

Her political mandate includes being a member of the ANC Regional Executive Committee (REC) in the Fezile Dabi region, the provincial deputy secretary of the ANC Women’s League and PEC/PWC member of the ANC in Free State. Mochela served as treasurer of the ANC Tumahole branch and also tasked with cluster coordination of ANC’s election machinery. As a first term councilor, she regards bringing both political and administrative stability in the municipality, as a cornerstone for improved service delivery to ensure better life for the people, as mandated by the ANC.